Friends Always Stick Together Part 1
by Yuki-chanlovespudding
Summary: What would happen if Sakura wasn't on the team and another girl was? Would the bonds stay the same? Would new ones be formed? FINAL CHAP NOW UP
1. Prologue

hey ppl i'm putting up my edited version now so that new ppl won't get confused. ummm ... you all are probably wondering where naruto and sasuke are(if not i'm telling anyway). frankly... i have absolutely no idea. they're somewhere. probably doing a mission until i finally update. but yeah enjoy.

disclaimer: i do not own naruto

Friends Always Stick Together

Prologue

It was a beautiful afternoon. Down the street you could see two very special and very important people walking down it. Well. One of them was walking. The other was piggybacking. Their names are Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi. Both part of the famous and powerful Uchiha clan. They're brothers and sons of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke being the younger of the two. Itachi had just been helping Sasuke with a kunai technique, but unfortunately he hurt his ankle in the process and was now piggy back riding. Even though he tried to get his niisan to let him down. Anyway, back to the story. Itachi was walking while carrying Sasuke. When a little girl about Sasuke's age ran into him and got knocked over. She had black hair that was tied in a low ponytail similar to Itachi's. "Ow, that hurt" she said rubbing her now sore behind. Then came a man. He looked young. Probably just a few years older than Itachi. And his hair was just like the girl's, black and in a ponytail. They look like they could be siblings. After he helped up the girl he bowed saying "I'm sorry if my imouto bothered you." Then with the brother glaring at his sister he said "I told her to be more careful." The girl stuck out her tongue to him and said under her breath "Well you need to know how to have fun and not be so uptite." They all heard, Sasuke chuckling a little bit. "What was that Lina?" her brother asked. "Oh nothing, nothing at all." Lina said with a smile. She bowed. "Gomen for bothering you. I'll try to look where I'm going next time." Itachi smiled, "Not at all." Lina smiled back. "Come on niisan, it's time for dinner." she said pulling her brother. After that, the two pairs went separate directions. Sasuke, who was still looking back, wandered if he'd ever see her again.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A day had passed since that insident. It was now the night of the ceremony where kids of age could join the Ninja Academy and learn to become ninjas. The new crop of students were all in an orderly fashion. Sasuke was part of them. He was still wondering if he'd be able to see the girl again. Little did he know, he would be able to see her sooner than he thought. After the ceremony was over, all the kids were excited that they might be ninjas. And the parents were talking about how they think their kids might do. While Fugaku, Sasuke's dad, was talking to another man, he was looking around the place knowing he was going to come here almost everyday for the next 5 years. Something caught his eye. He saw someone jumping up and down with excitement. He thought he regognized the person, but couldn't be sure because he was looking at the person's back. Said person then turned around and Sasuke could see the face. He gasped. It was the girl from yesterday. She saw him, gave him a smile and waved. He gave a small smile too along with a small wave. Fugaku noticed his son was waving at someone. He looked to see who it was. He saw the girl and just frowned at her. His son was going to work hard and not worry about petty things, such as a girl. He led his son away and took him home. Sasuke was happy. Now that he knew they were going to go to school together, he could get to know her. But he will also work hard so that he could be at the same level as his brother and be acknoleged by his father.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was the first day of school at the Ninja Academy and the new students were excited. Sasuke was already in his seat, like the good little boy that he is. Class wouldn't start for another ten minutes, but he wanted to be prepared and came early.

The door opened and in came his teacher. Iruka-sensei I believe is his name. He smiled, happy that his students were so excited being here.

When he walked through the door, someone else started walking through. It was the girl.(pause: you're probably why i haven't used her name right? that's because sasuke can't remember her name. sorta like i have trouble remembering names. anyway unpause) She closed the door behind her and walked to the teacher.

They talked about something and then she headed to where he was. "Gomen, you're sitting in the wrong seat. You sit on the right of me. I'm in the middle." she said politely, smiling.

Sasuke then moved one chair to the right sitting next to the girl.

Said girl then tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to her. She then said "We never properly introduced each other. My name is Ulina Lina. What's yours?" "Uchiha Sasuke." "Uchiha Sasuke" she repeated slowly. She smiled again "That's a nice name. I like it. It fits you somehow." Sasuke could feel himself blushing a little, hoping Lina wouldn't notice. She didn't, but the both of them could tell that they were going to really enjoy school.

It was the end of the day and school was over. Lina was sitting of a bench by the school. She was waiting. Her brother worked at the Academy and she wanted to walk home with him.

However, he can be late so she was drawing some pictures to occupy her time. The pictures she was drawing were about her new friend. She always liked to draw pictures of her friends. It's her way of showing she cares about them. Her specialties are full body portraits.

She heard footsteps coming toward her but she kept her head down.

"What are you doing?" She looked up. There stood Sasuke. "Waiting for niisan." she replied. "Would you mind if I waited with you?" he asked."Not at all." She scooted over and patted the seat next to her, motioning him to sit down. He did.

There was silence for a while until Sasuke asked "What are you drawing?"

"A picture."

"What type of picture?"

"A portrait."

"Of who?"

"Somebody."

"Who's the somebody?"

"A friend."

"Which friend?"

"Finished."

"Huh?"

"I finished my drawing."

"Lina, come on it's time to go home!" shouted Lina's niisan.

"Coming!" she shouted back. She then quickly folded a piece of paper and handed it to Sasuke. "This is for you. See ya tomorrow." and off she went, running to her niisan and waved goodbye.

Sasuke opened the paper and was surprised to see what it was. It was the drawing she was working on before. She drew a picture of both of them with their arms draped over each other's shoulders. It was a really good picture too. She was able to get every single little detail of him even though they had just met. Both were smiling. And on top of the paper were the words "Best Friends Forever".

Sasuke was defiantly surprised. Never had he recieved a gift like this. Nor had he expected it. He was defiantly going to keep it. And he'll defiantly kee it secret. He didn't need or want his family finding it and make a big fuss over it.

So he folded it up again and put it in his bag.

He then started walking home. When he got there, he went straight to his room and put the drawing in a safe place where no one could find it. He was defiantly going to love school.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After the picture insident, both Sasuke and Lina would meet in front of the school. And if one was early, then he/she would wait for the other and they would both enter together. They did everything together. They trained together. They studied together. They ate lunch together. They also told each other secrets that nobody else knew. They truly were the best of friends. They even started to wait at the Uchiha compound gate for each other. They would then start their daily routine(together duh). In fact, the only time you didn't see them together was when they were at their own houses.

There were even rumors going around that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. But they ignored them knowing what's true and what's false.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, the rumors had reached his family. He found this out one night at home.

It was dinner and everybody had just started eating. They ate in silence until Mikoto started asking Sasuke about school.

"So how was school today Sasuke?"

"Okay."

"Are you doing well?"

"Yeah."

"Have you made any new friends?"

"A few. Nothing special." Sasuke always liked to keep things to a minimum and vague whenever it came to talking about school at home.

"You know? I heard a special rumor about you Sasuke."

At this, Itachi and Fugaku looked at Sasuke. Said boy just kept looking as if this was all old news.

"Is that so?" he asked(as in sasuke).

"Oh yes." Mikoto said.

Suddenly Itachi intervened asking, "And what exactly is the rumor about mother?"

"That Sasuke has a girlfriend."

At this all the male family members widened their eyes in shock. Itachi and Fugaku because they thought he was only interested in his schoolwork. And Sasuke because he was hoping that it wouldn't have traveled this far.

"Is that true Sasuke?" asked Fugaku with a hard tone. He just answered like he always did with this question, "No, it's just a rumor. We're only friends." "Is it that girl from the ceremony?" Fugaku asked. Sasuke just stayed quiet.

"Well I think we should get to know Sasuke's little friend don't you? Sasuke, next time you see her, please invite her over for dinner tomorrow, okay?" Mikoto asked."Fine."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Lina was waiting outside the gate for Sasuke. In just a minute she could see him walking toward her.

She smiled and waved. "Ohiyo Sasuke!" she yelled.

"Ohiyo." Sasuke said quietly.

By this time, they were both walking to school. "What's the matter Sasuke? You seem kinda down this morning."

Sasuke sighed. "My family heard the rumor."

"So?"

He sighed again. "They want me to invite your over for dinner."

"What's so bad about that?"

Sasuke was starting to get frustrated now. "Don't you get it?!" he yelled. "If my parents don't approve of you, they'll never let me see you again! And I don't want to lose my best friend." He said the last part quietly and tears were starting to run down his face.

Lina, being the caring, nurturing type, gave Sasuke a big hug and held him tight. While gently stroking the back of his head lovingly, she told him quietly and soothingly, "Shh. There, there Sasuke it'll be okay. Don't worry. I promise, we'll stay friends forever and I'll make sure your parents approve whether they want to or not. Okay?"

He picked his head up from her shoulder and just looked at her while she smiled at him.

"Okay." he said quietly.

"That's a big boy." and she helped wipe away Sasuke's tears.

She then grabbed his hand saying "Come on, we better hurry or else we'll be late for class." And they ran all the way to school just making it into class as the bell rang.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was the end of the day and Lina and Sasuke were walking home. Lina told Tatsua(her brother) about the invitation and he told her he would pick her up an hour before her bedtime, which was 9:30.

They paused when they were at the gate. Usually, they were supposed to say their "goodbyes" and "see you tomorrows". But instead, Sasuke grabbed her hand and dragged her with him into the compound. And Sasuke literaly had to drag her. She was resisting all she could because she did not like surprises(sometimes-this case being one of them) and she did not want to be rude by coming so early.

It was them Sasuke finally let go and asked "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm supposed to come by for dinner, not after school."

"Aw, come on. You're not scared are ya?" he mocked. Lina, being the type of person who did not like being called a scaredy-cat, said defiantly "No I'm not." and started walking on her own ahead of Sasuke. He just stood there amazed at how she could change moods so quickly.

Lina then suddenly stopped walking. She turned around and asked sheepishly, "Uhhh, where exactly is your house?" He just laughed. Then showed her the way when he was done.

A few minutes later they were infront of Sasuke's house. But just before he touched the door, Lina started getting nervous and asked him if she looked presentable or not. After that they both finally made it inside the house.

"Tadaima!" Sasuke called.

"Okaerinasai, Sasuke. How was school today?" Mikoto called back.

"Fine. I brought a friend if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Come in the kitchen. I have some snacks that I made."

"Okay. Coming." Both Sasuke and Lina walked into the kitchen, Lina staying close to Sasuke and being unusually quiet. He could tell she was getting very nervous and very shy.

When they entered the kitchen, they could see a plateful of cookies on the table. Sasuke grabbed one and gave it to Lina, who took it very hesitantly. He then took one for himself and they both bit into thiers.

Mikoto turned around from finishing the dishes and gave them both a nice, warm smile. "Is this the friend you told me about Sasuke?" she asked. Said boy just nodded. "Well, she certainly is cute. You have a good taste in girlfriends Sasuke."

At this they both choked on thier cookies a little bit. "Mom!!" Sasuke yelled, "I told you before she's not my girlfriend! We're just friends!" He them took his friend's hand and dragged her away. He kept dragging her until they were in a bedroom and Sasuke closed the door.

Lina guessed it was Sasuke's room since she does the same thing when she's frustrated or irritated. She looked around. It was nothing fancy. There was a bed, a sidetable, a desk, and a wardrobe.

"Gomen about that." said Sasuke apogetically.

"Don't worry about it. That's how parents always are." she said in a matter-of-factly tone.

They both noticed they both brought thier bags along, and Iruka sensei had given them a lot of homework, so Sasuke asked "Should we get started on our homework?"

"Sure."

An hour and a half later, they had just finished their homework. And boy were they beat.

Iruka sensei always gave lots of homework, but they enjoyed his class nonetheless.

Right now they were sitting on the bed together, just talking. But they soon got bored and Sasuke was rummaging through his closet to find a game.

He soon took out a box labeled _Twister. _"How about this game?" he asked. "Sure." And they both setted it up. "You can go first." Sasuke offered. "Thanks."

So they both went on opposite ends of the mat and Lina flicked the spinner. "Left foot yellow." she read. She did as it said. Sasuke flicked the spinner and read "Right hand red."

(After many flicks, struggles, and strains later)

"Right hand green. Ok Sasuke, your turn."

(flick)

"Left hand yellow." They had both been doing very well until Sasuke did his turn.

It was only after he did it that they both realised their positions. Sasuke was hovering just inches over Lina. They looked at each other and blushed madly.

"Sasuke, could you help set the table?" Mikoto called.

Thankfully, Sasuke got up from his position with Lina following right after.

"Umm, do you want to help set the table?" he asked still flustered from what happened. "Sure." she replied, still flustered as well.

They both silently went into the kitchen and set the table. It took a little longer than usual 'cus Sasuke had to show her where everything was, but they still finished.

And as soon as they did, both Fugaku and Itachi came home. Mikoto and Sasuke both welcomed them home. The two that just came home both noticed the extra person in their home. Said person bowed politely and smiled. "Hello. My name is Ulina Lina and I am honored to meet Sasuke's family and to have been asked here for dinner." she said smiling. You probably wouldn't have known it, but she was nervous and scared as could be. But that didn't stop her from being polite.

They all then sat down at the table for dinner with Sasuke and Lina sitting next to each other. They all ate silently until Lina said "Mmm, this is delicous. It's been ages since i last had something this good."

"Why thank you Lina," Mikoto said delightfully "I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"Tell me," piped in Fugaku, "what are your parents' jobs."

At this, Sasuke got a bit worried. He is the only person outside of Lina's family that knows about her parents. And he knows that she doesn't like to talk about it.

"They were anbus." she said quietly.

"Were?" Fugaku questioned.

"Well, I guess you could say that they're retired." she replied smiling and only Sasuke could tell it was fake.

That subject ended and they all asked other questions so as to get to know her. After everyone was done eating, Sasuke and Lina cleaned up the table and washed the dishes.

"Father, Mother, may I talk to you privately?" Itachi asked whispering. All three quietly went out of the room and into another one.

"What is this about Itachi?" Fugaku demanded.

"It's about Lina's parents." he replied. "Did something happen to them?" Mikoto asked worredly. "Well, since I am in the anbu, I was able to do some research." "What are you getting at already?" Fugaku asked getting impatient now. Itachi stayed quiet for a few minutes before he replied.

"Both of Lina's parents died five years ago." Mikoto gasped. Fugaku stayed indifferent. "The poor thing. No wonder she acted the way she did when on that topic." Mikoto explained. "So she lives alone?" Fugaku asked. "No, she lives with her brother, who is a teacher at the academy." Itachi informed them.

They heard some giggles. Then laughter. "Sasuke stop. That tickles." Lina said inbetween laughs. They then saw them run past the door. "Come on," Mikoto said getting up. "It's rude to ignore our guest."

They all went outside to find Sasuke and Lina wrestling on the ground. Nothing dangerous, just plain old kid wrestling. It then turned to a tickle fight with Sasuke winning. "Ah hahaha I haha I give. I give." she pleaded. Sasuke stopped tickling her and let her catch her breath.

In the distance, everyone heard the rumble of thunder. "Kids, come back inside, it's going to rain soon." Mikoto called. "Okay!" they called together. A few minutes later, it started to pour as if there was no tomorrow. And it was thundering and lightninging like crazy. It was thirty minutes later and it did not let up. It just got worse.

"Lina," Itachi said. She turned to look at him. "I sent a kage bunshin to your brother. He said it would probably be best that you stay here. Mother and father don't mind." he explained. "Okay." she said. But Sasuke couldn't help but notice something different about her. "Come on, lets set up a futon. You can sleep in my room tonight." Sasuke said holding out his hand. She took it and they went to get the futon. They both carried it to Sasuke's room and set it up by his bed.

Lightning striked outside and thunder roared. Lina nearly jumped out of her skin and latched onto Sasuke. Said boy was definantly surprised. Not only didn't he know she was scared of storms, he also didn't think that she'd actually latch onto him. However, being the good friend he is, he wrapped his arms around her and gently patted her head while saying "It'll be okay."

After Sasuke did this, Lina snapped back into reality and realised what she did. She quickly let go of him and said, totally embaressed(sp?), "G-G-Gomen, I-I-I didn't mean to." "It's okay." Sasuke replied. "Let's just say I was returning the favor." he said smiling. "Okay." she said feebaly. "I didn't know you were scared of storms." he remarked. "I'm not, but when I'm in another place and there's one, I get a bit jumpy." she explained. "A bit? I nearly couldn't breath, you held on so tight." he said. "Hn. Whatever." she said turning her head away.

"Kids," Mikoto called, "It's almost bedtime, better get ready."

"Hmmm, well since none of your stuff is here, you can borrow mine." Sasuke offered. "Umm, thanks." Lina said. Sasuke then went to the wardrobe, opened a drawer and took out two pairs of pajamas. "I'll change in the bathroom." Sasuke said respectfully. "Thanks."

A few minutes later, _knock knock_ "Lina? It's me. Can I come in?" Sasuke asked. "Yeah." she called back. He opened the door and found Lina sitting cross-legged on the futon with her stuff on the side. He closed the door behind him and sat across from her.

Mikoto then opened the door saying "Good night Sasuke, Lina." "Night." they said together. She smiled, then left the two alone.

"I really like your home and family. Your dad seems a bit stiff though." Lina commented. "Yeah." was all he said.

There was silence for a few minutes until Lina let out a long yawn. "I think maybe we should go to bed now. Don't you?" she asked. "Yeah." and he climbed into his bed and they both got under their covers. "Night Sasuke." "Night Lina." A few minutes later, they were both asleep.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was morning. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping. The rain had finally stopped during the early morning. In our favorite(or not so favorite) Uchihas' house, all was well. Mikoto was getting ready to make breakfast and Itachi and Fugaku were out training and doing missions.

And where are our two favorite characters you ask? They are still asleep because they did not have school today and Mikoto felt like letting them sleep as much as they could before breakfast. Sasuke was first to wake up because the light was shining in his face. He turned to lay on his right side. He felt something warm against his face and slowly opened his eyes.

When they were open enough to focus, he found Lina laying in his bed next to him. It was then his memories from last night returned to him. She had woken him up during late in the night. He saw how scared she was and offered her to sleep with him (NOT LIKE THAT! They are only seven years old people. And there are no, I repeat, no lemons or limes in this story. Got it? Okay, continue.). She ended up sleeping very peacefully during the rest of the night. The sun was shining a little bit on her face.

Sasuke couldn't help but notice how that part of her face glowed. He then studied the rest of her face. It's not everyday you get to watch someone sleep. Her face seemed so peaceful like she was in her own happy little world. Her brows would furrow a little every now and then.

And there was a small smile on her lips. A small chunk of her hair them fell across her face(she took out her ponytail before she went to bed.). Acting instinctively, Sasuke lightly brushed the hairs out of her face and behind her ear. His fingers lightly brushed against her face and felt how soft her skin was. He didn't even think that skin could be so soft.

The light was hitting her fully and Sasuke was awstruck at how she glowed. If he wouldn't have known better, he would have thought that she was an angel. He was so caught up in his "studying", he didn't notice Lina's eyes flutter open. "Morning Sasuke." she let out sleepily. Said boy was knocked out of his thoughts and replied "Morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhmm." she said while stretching cat-like and yawning. Lina then sniffed the air and said "Mmmm, something smells good." "Mom's probably making breakfast by now." he replied. So they both got out of bed and went straight to the kitchen. When they got there, they were welcomed with all sorts of delicious smells and food.

"You came just in time." Mikoto said while placing breakfast on the table. They all sat around the table and began to eat. "Lina, your hair is very pretty. You should wear it down more often." Mikoto commented. "Arigato. But I like it in a ponytail. It doesn't get in the way much then." she replied blushing just a little bit. After they were done, Sasuke went into the bathroom to get changed.

While waiting, Lina sat outside enjoying the morning weather and listened to nature calling. Mikoto went out saying she had to get a few things. When she returned, she gave Lina a small bag she had with her. "I went shopping and was able to find some things you would need." Mikoto said kindly. "Thank you Mikoto-san. I appreciate this very much. And relieved. I was starting to wonder how I was going to brush my teeth." and they both laughed.

It was then that Sasuke came into the scene and asked "What are you two laughing about?" "Oh nothing Sasuke." his mother replied. "The real question is why do you take so long to get ready for the day? Do you spend all your time trying to make your hair perfect?" Lina remarked playfully. While both she and Mikoto laughed again, Sasuke blush a little while pouting. Ten minutes later Lina finishe getting ready and Sasuke showed her around the compound.

She was really amazed. Never did she think there would be so many Uchihas. You would have thought they were part bunny there was so many of them. But she found most of them pleasant nonetheless. A few hours later, they both headed back to the house.

When they got back, they were greeted by an unexpected person. "Yo, welcome back you two." greeted Tatsua, Lina's niisan. "Tatsua!" Lina shouted and ran over to him and gave him a big hug. "Ugh, Lina, loosen up a bit. Hello Sasuke-kun. How are you doing?" aske Tatsua. "I'm fine." he replied and sat down next to him(Note: they are all sitting around the table. And the table is low so you have to sit on cushions. Just thought I should add that incase anybody's confused. Alright, continue.).

"Hey niisan."

"Yes?"

"Why are you here anyway? Not that I don't want you here. I'm just curious." Lina asked while sitting on his lap. "I came to bring you back home." he answered. "Wahhh?! But I don't want to . I'm having too much fun here." she protested. "Sorry, but we have to." "Well, before you go, why don't you at least have lunch with us?" Mikoto offered.

"Can we niisan?" Lina begged putting on her cutest puppy-dog eyes. "Sure, why not?" "Yay." Lina said and went over to sit next to Sasuke so that now she was sitting inbetween Sasuke and Tatsua. "You and your boyfriend seem to be chumier, don't you think?" Tatsua whispered to Lina. "I have absolutely no idea what your talking about." she stated.

Tatsua just chuckled. A minute or two later, Mikoto brought out some rice balls. They each took one and started eating. After a while, Mikoto and Tatsua started conversing and Sasuke and Lina started chatting. About ten minutes later, everyone finished eating and were at the door.

"I wish we didn't have to go." Lina commented sadly. "Well, you two are welcomed here anytime." said Mikoto. "Arigato, Mikoto-san. And considering how much fun these two had, you probably might be seeing her more often." Tatsua said. Lina and Sasuke smiled at each other knowing they could still be friends. "Well," began Tatsua, putting a hand on Lina's shoulder, "I guess we better get going." They all then said goodbye to each other and Tatsua and Lina left.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Another few weeks had pass and all was well. Sasuke and Lina still saw each other every single day. The weather was starting to get colder, however. It even snowed one day. The kids were extactic because they ended up having no school that day.

Anywhere you went in Konoha, you would see everyone in a cheerful mood (except for Fugaku cuz everyone knows he always acts as if there's always a stick up his arse). One day when Sasuke and Lina were walking down the path, Lina asked Sasuke, "So what are you going to do for Christmas Sasuke?"

"Not sure. We might have a party or it'll just be ourselves. I'll ask mom sometime soon." he replied. "What about you?"

"Well... niisan and I are probably just going to relax, but only because we're most likely going to be really tired after the party." Lina said.

"Party? What party?" Sasuke inquired.

"Oh well, every year, a few days before Christmas, niisan and I always throw a really big holiday party." she explained. "Everyone has a really good time. Hey! Maybe you and your family could come too if your parents say it's alright." she suggested.

"Yeah, I really want to come see." Sasuke agreed. They both stopped at the gate and Lina took out a pencil and some paper and scribbled something on it. "Here," she said handing him the paper, "This is all the information you'll need for the party."

"Thanks."

"Make sure to ask you parents and tell me tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good, see ya tomorrow Sasuke." she then waved goodbye and headed home.

"Tadaima!" Sasuke called while he was taking off his shoes. "Welcome home Sasuke." Mikoto called back. _Good, _Sasuke thought, _Only okaasan is home. That should make everything much easier. _He walked into the kitchen, then sat at the table.

"So how was your day Sasuke? Did anything special happen?" Mikoto asked. "Actually..." started Sasuke as he rummaged in his bag. "Lina invited us to a holiday party." he said handing his mom the paper with all the info on it. "Hmmm..." she said reading the paper, "well why don't we go?" "You mean it?" asked Sasuke excitedly. "Of course, we have nothing else planned and it's been a while since we last went to a party." Mikoto said smiling. "Thanks okaasan." Sasuke said hugging his mom.

The next morning Sasuke was waiting in front of the gate. "Morning Sasuke!" called a familiar voice. He turned and saw Lina running toward him and plopped right on the ground when she got to him, panting heavily. "Are you ok?" Sasuke asked. "-pant, pant- yeah, just-pant, pant- slept in a little." she panted(duh).

Sasuke helped her to her feet and they both started walking to school. "So, did you ask?" Lina inquired. "Yeah, I asked okaasan and she said we can come." he said. "Yay. You're really going to like it." she said.

A couple days later, it was the day (or night I should say) of the party. The Uchiha family were on their way to the party, all excited (except Fugaku of course). When they got to the place they were supposed to be at, they were in front of a warehouse and all sorts of Christmas lights decorated it. They knocked on the door and waited a minute or two. When it opened, Tatsua was found in the doorway.

He smiled and said "I'm glad you all could make it." "Well we just couldn't deny it." said Mikoto smiling as well. Tatsua then moved to the side and let them in. The Uchihas were soon engulfed by Christmas music and yelling. It was definately a party.

Tatsua closed the door and said "Enjoy yourselves." and walked off. "I'm going to go look for Lina." Sasuke told his mom. He took off his coat, threw it on a coat rack and raced off to find his friend. He came to a different room where there was a stage and a dance floor. As soon as he walked into the room, he immediately saw her.

Lina, was in the stage, singing "Jingle Bell Rock" by Aly and Aj. Now... he knew she can be a little spirited, BUT... he also knew that she didn't like to do ANYTHING in front of crowds. And yet, there she was... on a stage... singing... in front of a huge crowd... and doesn't appear nervous at all (basically, his brain was just not computing). Either she was really in the Christmas mood... or she finally lost her marbles.

But he then noticed how pretty she looked. She was wearing a red dress... wait... a DRESS?! Ok now he really wasn't sure if it's just the mood or she really is nuts (Sasuke is saying all of this because Lina is not the girly type. She doesn't wear dresses, have her hair down, or any of that other stuff). Anyway, she was wearing a red dress with white puffs on the edge of her collar, edge of her sleeves (which are full length), and the hem of her dress (which came down to her knees). She also added a santa hat to put it all together.

_She actually looks kinda cute, especially with her hair down. Wait... what the heck am I thinking?! I don't like her that way! She's just a friend! _Sasuke thought (cough-denial-cough). He then started to actually listen to her sing. _She's really, really good at singing. _he thought. Once Lina finished, she gave a little curtsey and walked off the stage.

Two or three seconds later, Sasuke found Lina right next to him giving him a hug. "You made it. I'm so glad." she said after releasing him. "Lina do you have a fever or something?" Sasuke asked. She just looked at him with a confused look on her face then said "No, why do you ask?" Sasuke just couldn't believe this, so he started listing some... unusual things, "Well, first off, you're in a dress. Second your hair is down (she nearly always wears it in a ponytail). And three, you were singing, on a stage, all by yourself, in front of practically the whole village!" "Yeah, your point?" At this Sasuke sweatdropped and said to her, "Those three things are things you hardly or never do."

"Well this is a special occasion. Now come on." she said and dragged him showing all the rooms. (and I'm too lazy to say what else they did so use you imaginations but it must be rated G.) A few hours later, everyone that was at the party gathered around the huge Christmas tree that was in the middle of the biggest room of all. Once everyone was there, people started giving other people presents. Even Sasuke and Lina had presants to give.

After a while Lina turned to Sasuke and gave him her gift. Inside were scrolls. Then Sasuke dug in his pockets and pulled out a box. He handed it to Lina blushing. She took it and opened it. When she took off the top, her eyes widened. She put her hand in it and she pulled out a beaded necklace. Her eyes sparkled and she gave Sasuke the biggest hug she ever gave him. She then kissed him on the cheek (which made him blush even more) and put it on.

"What's all the comotion?" Tatsua asked pushing through the crowd with Sasuke's family right behind him. "Niisan look what Sasuke gave me." Lina said showing him the necklace (which made him blush even more so that his whole face was red). "This is very pretty. Did you make this yourself Sasuke?" Mikoto asked when she saw. Sasuke's face just became redder and nodded a little. "It's very good craftsmanship." Tatsua commented. Sasuke's face just went redder.

He looked up (he looked at his feet after Lina put on the necklace) and saw Tatsua and Mikoto observing the necklace. He looked at his father (who was dragged to the party) and saw the disapproving look on his face (you can just think what's going through his mind: what the heck is he thinking doing such a thing and for a girl no less. He should be studying his school work. Fugaku is such a prick. Anyway back to the story). He looked at Itachi who just winked at him. This just made Sasuke blush even more (poor guy, his face could compare to that of a tomatoe).

After Sasuke then showed them the scrolls he got from Lina, they all headed toward the door. "We're so glad you could come. We hope you enjoyed yourselves." said Tatsua. "Yes we enjoyed it very much." replied Mikoto. They all them said their goodbyes as the Uchihas walked through the snow covered ground back to their home.


	9. Chapter 8

hey everybody!. i'm FINALLY BACK. yeah and i know you all are probably mad at me but i seriously had to do my science fair. but now it's all over.and if you're wondering what my grade was, ask in a review and i might tell you.  
**naruto**: WHOA! you wrote like a really long chapter!  
**yc**: yeah well there were a lot of points i wanted to get into this chap. i just didn't know that i was being this specific  
**naruto**: hey why did you do that? that was so mean.  
**yc**: i have my reasons. oh and for those of you who are easy cryers, get a box of tissues. trust me, you're going to need it. anyway, on to the chap. enjoy.

**Chapter 8**

A month or two had pasted and all was well. Today, however, was a very (or not so very) special day for everyone at the academy. Today was report card day! (Yay) All the kids were either excited, nervous, or scared. Lina was quite excited. Sasuke, however was nervous. "Don't worry Sasuke. I know you did well." Lina said trying to comfort her friend. Sasuke looked at her and gave her a small smile of thanks.

A small gleam caught his eye as Lina turned to look forward. It was the beaded necklace he had made for her. Memories then came back to him of the party and he blushed a little.

He then turned his attention to the front of the class. The teacher was handing out the report cards. He got to them and handed each of them a folded piece of paper. Sasuke and Lina opened them up. They looked over their grades, each with a smile on their face. They then looked at each others and Lina said "See? I told you you would do fine."

After school they both headed to Sasuke's house. Lina's niisan was on a mission so Sasuke's family gladdly accepted to take care of her until he came back. So they both went to the kitchen and showed Mikoto their grades. She was very proud of both of them. After praising and congradulating them, Mikoto started making an extra-special dinner for the night. And until Itachi and Fugaku came home from training or doing missions, Lina and Sasuke did their homework and helped each other train.

When they did, Sasuke immediately went to show his father his report card. After Fugaku and Sasuke went to a different room, he looked over Sasuke's grades. He put the paper down, said "Keep this up and become successful just like your brother." and walked out of the room.

Sasuke was really hoping his father would say that he was truly his son.

He heard foot steps padding toward him softly. "It's ok Sasuke. You did really well. His expectations are just too dang high is all." Lina said trying to comfort her friend. "Yeah." he said quietly.

Next day

(Lina's POV)

It was a beautiful morning. It would be better though if Sasuke's dad wasn't such a prick. He's still really sad that his dad wouldn't praise him like he does Itachi. What's so great about him anyway? So he's and Uchiha prodigy, so what? If you ask me Sasuke is way better than Itachi in a lot of ways.

Anyway, I went out for a morning walk today because we didn't have school, which made me very happy. While walking down the road, I saw two men that I recognised. They were a part of niisan's team for the mission. I know this because I actually went up to them and told them to make sure that niisan wouldn't get hurt. I can be a little protective of people that I care about.

"Ohayo!" I said when I ran up to them. They seemed a little startled when they saw me. "Where's niisan? Is he alright?" I asked curiously. I would not forget their expressions. They looked sadly at each other. One of them bent down on one of his knees and put a hand on my shoulder. He was trying to comfort me. Something was seriously wrong, I know it. Fear and worry started to take root. "Where is he? What happened to him? What's wrong!?" I asked urgently. He just looked to the ground and said softly, "The hospital." My eyes had widened in shock. _No, _I thought, _it can't be happening again._ I then raced as fast as I could to the hospital.

My heart was pounding. Not because I was running so fast, but because I was afraid of what I would see. I swerved and dodged the townspeople, an ability I already had at a young age. There it is. I could just see the top of the hospital. _Don't worry niisan, _I thought, _I'm coming. _

There's the entrance. I ran past it and up to the check-in desk. "Where is Ulina Tatsua?" I asked urgently. The lady behind the desk seemed startled by my sudden apperance, but started to look for the name nonetheless. Ugh, why is it that it takes so long to look for just one name!? "Ah, here he is, Ulina Tatsua." she said (about time). "It seems he's not doing so well." "Where is he?" I asked getting impatient.

She must've noticed the fear and worry in my eyes because she told me specificly where he was, "He is in Emergency Room #4 on the forth floor." I ran again. The lady didn't even have enough time to tell me not to run, I ran so fast. I couldn't believe though, that niisan has to be on the FORTH FLOOR! I swear, it's like they're trying to make it difficult for me.

Finally, I got to the forth floor. Somehow, even though I haven't been to the hospital often, I knew where I was going. I could feel niisan was close. I turned a corner and there was the door to the ER. I stood there for a few minutes, not knowing what to do. My legs seemed to have created a mind of their own because I slowly headed for the door. I stopped again, a foot from the door. Standing there, trying to listen what was happening on the other side of the door, is what I was doing. My surroundings were a blur, except for the door. That door, it meant life and death to me. I stood there, unmoving for I do not know how long.

It seemed like years had passed until I heard footsteps. Because of the situation, my senses had sensitized quite a bit, and I could hear four people coming toward me. I had a feeling of who it could be. But I stood standing, unmoving. The only thing that mattered was niisan.

I jumped a bit when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to see Sasuke. His eyes held sorrow. If one looked deep enough into those obsidian eyes, they would also find hope and comfort. I could feel my eyes burning with unshed tears. I embraced my dearest friend and let my tears fall on the crook of his neck. He embraced me back, gently rubbing my back.

Eventually, I felt someone else join in and embrace us both. I just kept on crying. Until my sobs had turned into hiccups, I slowly took my head from my friend's shoulder. I turned to see who was the one that held us both, it was Mikoto. Of course, Itachi and Fugaku weren't the sentimental types at all. When I looked to see where they were, I saw them sitting on the bench, both looking like they didn't what to be here.

The three of us then took our seats as well, me sitting closest to the door. We all sat there for hours, no one making a sound. When I looked at the clock on the opposite wall, I saw that it was almost 10 o'clock in the evening. But I felt somewhat calm with my friend sitting next to me. Speaking of which, it seems he must've fallen asleep because he's now leaning against me with his head on my shoulder. I didn't mind; I felt appeased with him and enjoyed the warmth from him as well.

A few more hours had passed. My eyes were starting to droop, begging for sleep, but I couldn't. Then, just as I was about to give in, the doorknob turned. My body tensed, suddenly wide awake. Sasuke must have felt me tense for he started to stir until he too came quickly awake.

The door opened and out an exausted looking medic-nin. I quickly stood and ask "How is he?" His eyes came to me and I could see the sorrow in them. I could feel my eyes burning with tears again as he shook his head. And, as if to make it worse, he said "I'm sorry, we tried as best we could, but... we couldn't save him. You may see him one last time though if you wish." I nodded and walked into the room, with Sasuke close behind me.

The table that niisan was on had been lowered so I could see him better. I went up to him and touched his hand. It was so cold. That was all I needed to have the tears run down my face as I grabbed and cried on his hand. I cried the death of my niisan, until I felt his hand twich. It was so slight, but I thought for sure I had felt it move. My crying stopped, and I felt his hand his hand twich again, a little more forcefully this time. I gasped as I felt his enclose around my hand.

I looked to his face and quietly said "Tatsua?" His eyes started to flutter. The doctors noticed this and were dumbfounded. His eyes had fully opened and he turned to me, smiling lightly. I was so overjoyed that I jumped and encircled my arms around his neck, now crying tears of happiness.

He lightly put a hand on my back, hugging me back as best he could. I pulled back and, seeing my tears, niisan wiped them away. "Don't worry little one," he said. "I'm not going anywhere just yet." "I was really worried about you," I replied. "I thought I lost you." "I can't be gotten rid of that easily."

Mikoto, Fugaku, and Itachi had now walked up. "Mikoto-san, Fugaku-san, would you please take care of her for at least one more night?" niisan asked them. "Of course." Mikoto replied. "Thank you. Now," he said turning to me now, "off you go. You look exausted and need to sleep." "No, I wanna stay with you." He smiled, "Don't worry, I'll be here in the morning when you visit again. I know you will." I hesitated for a while until I finally replied, "Ok, but you promise to be here in the morning?" "Promise." I kissed his cheek and hopped off the table. After short good-byes were said me, Sasuke, and his family all walked out of the hospital and toward their home.

When I woke up, it was 6 o'clock. I figured that at this time everyone, except Sasuke, would be up. So I quickly dressed and found Mikoto in the kitchen sipping tea. She saw me and, already knowing what I wanted to do, asked "Are you ready?" "Yeah." I said. "Don't forget about me!" I turned and saw Sasuke. I smiled.

We quickly headed to the hospital. When we got to the front desk, Mikoto asked where niisan's room was and we headed to it. I opened the door to the room where niisan was supposed to be, and found doctors around his bed. My heart sand and I had a bad feeling down to the very core of my being.

We walked up to them and they all noticed us. The doctor that was closest to me started talking, "We're truly, very sorry about this, but it seems your brother died sometime at 6 o'clock this morning." _No, _I thought as I just fell to the floor crying, my heart broken into well over a million pieces.

Sasuke and Mikoto came to try to comfort me, each on either side of me. "However," the doctor continued as I tried to quiet my tears to listen, "it seems that sometime before he did die, he wrote something that was addressed to you." I looked up at him as he held out a piece of paper that was folded three times (like a brochure). I wiped my eyes and took the paper. The top read 'To be read ONLY by Ulina Lina'. I opened it up and it read:

_Dear Lina,_

_I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. But if I didn't write this, everything would be lost. The next part is my will, so that everything we own would not be taken and to also protect our secrets. Do not worry. In time you will understand everything. Stay well._

_With love,_

_Tatsua_

_Tatsua's will_

_Everything that my family and I have owned shall go to Lina. Until she has come to an age where she can support herself, the hokage will hold everything._

_I would like Uchiha Sasuke's family to take care of Lina as their own daughter if they please. If they refuse, I would like the hokage to find a family where I know she will be safe, cared, and nurtured for._

_(other stuff after this: these two main and important points)_

Both Sasuke and Mikoto had read the letter and will, despite the request niisan had made. I handed it back to the doctors, but tore off the letter first so that I wouldn't be suspected of anything. I said they could read it. When they did, one of them took us to the hokage tower.

The doctor knocked on the door to the hokage's office and we entered. The doctor handed him the will. When he finished he said, "I am very sorry about your loss dear one, but according to what your brother has written, he has requested that Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Fugaku take you in and raise you as their own. Do you object Mikoto-san?" "No sir. I would gladly take Lina in and care for her." she responded. "Very well then. Ulina Lina, you may keep your original name if you wish or may change it to your new family's name. Now, I ask you all to leave as I go over Tatsua's will."

We all left. My heart felt extremely heavy. Never have I ever felt such loneliness. Yes, I have a new family that I know I love, but even that couldn't stop me from feeling like this.

well? what did you all think about it? a lot of drama i know. and why did i kill tatsua then bring him back to life then kill him again? because i am the author of this story and i can do anything i want. but just so you know he's permanently died now. T-T. poor lina.  
**naruto**: hey where's sasuke?  
**yc**: no idea. oh that remindes me.(clears throat) everyone i have an anouncement. i will now not be updating every other saturday. i will now be updating once i have at least 2 reviews.  
**naruto**: yeah right. your such a pushover.  
**yc**: well now i'm not. and i am being extremely serious here. so for those of you who want me to continue, **REVIEW!!!** especially you naruto.  
**naruto**: why me too?  
**yc**: because you finally get to make your big entrance in the next chap.but unless i get 2 reviews, that won't be happening.  
**naruto**: WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ok guys, i know it's really a pain to review, but pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease review. i've been waiting forever for my big apperance  
**yc**: yeah so if you want naruto to be happy, then review so i can update. and i am being serious. and come on it's only 2 reviews. i think i'm being pretty generous here by demanding only 2. now naruto if you please.  
**naruto**: plllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssseeeeeeeeee make plenty of reviews. no seriously. i just really want to be part of the story. ja ne.


	10. Chapter 9

**naruto:** yuki-chan. yuki-chan! YUKI-CHAN!  
**yc:** (falls out of bed) ow. what do you want naruto?  
**naruto:** come on update. you have 8 reviews. update.  
**yc:** really? YOSH!! and of course i'll update naru-chan.  
**naruto:** don't call me naru-chan!  
**yc:** anyway. i want to thank nightreader and my 2 uhhhhh friends for the reviews. oh and nightreader, i just seriously appreciate the second review after i posted a note that said i won't include my friends reviews(note: sarcasm). jeez give me a while for tsunade's sake. get it? tsunade's sake as in the alcoholic drink?(cricket, cricket) sheesh tough crowd. but thank you all. you don't know how much i appreciate it.  
**naruto:** ok ok you said you thanks now can we please get on with the chap?  
**yc:** ok ok. enjoy the chap everyone. you too naruto  
**naruto:** yay

**Chapter 9**

(Lina's POV)

A few weeks had passed. Everything was fine, I suppose. My mood has been the same ever since that day. Everyone is worried about me. They say I'm depressed in the worst of ways. How can I not be? I lost my niisan. I lost my friend.

Anyway, it was a boring, dreary morning. Funny though since it's sunny and bright. Sadly, Sasuke became sick and had to stay home. And because of this, I dreaded going to school. Before, people used to insult me, but I didn't care what they would say and just agree with them. Now, I have somehow become more sensitive. That's where Sasuke came in. Someone would say something hurtful and Sasuke would be there to defend me and make me feel better. It's kinda pathetic if you think about it. But I went to school nonetheless.

The morning had been alright. It was lunch time now as I took my usual spot on a bench not too far from the Academy(you know the bench that sakura always sits on? yeah it's that bench, just to clear up something. ok continue). I got about halfway through my lunch when I heard footsteps. I kept my head down, hoping it wasn't who I thought it was. "Hey look guys. It's the orphane-girl." My hope had vanished. I looked up to see three boys from my class. They did this everyday. And apparently that was my nickname for them: orphane-girl.

"Where's your boyfriend orphane-girl?" the boy in the middle asked. I stayed quiet, eating my lunch. "Hey what's wrong?" "Maybe she forgot how to talk Jim(i know not that creative. give me a break ok? i'm not that good with names)." the boy on the left responded to the middle boy."Maybe you're right Bob. What's-his-name was a teacher. Perhaps he didn't finish teaching her to talk when he finally kicked the bucket(can? i don't remember)." said Jim. They started to laugh as my eyes started getting watery.

"Aww, is the baby gonna start crying now?" said Jim. "Heh, go run to your mommy." said Bob. "Oh, that's right, you don't have one!" said Jim again. They all laughed again while tears were running down my face.

"Hey, leave her alone!" a voice said.

I looked up. There was a blond haired kid with fiery blue eyes standing a few feet away on my left. The gang of boys all gave him an evil glare and turned away. Just before they were out of earshot, I heard one of them say "Let's leave the two orphanes alone."

"Are you ok?" I turned to the voice to find the blond in front of me. He gave me a soft smile. So, he's an orphane too. It's a small world after all. I nodded my head to him. His smile widened making his eyes squint shut. "I'm glad." He then sat down next to me. We just sat there, not saying a word to each other while I finished my lunch. I stole a glance or two at his direction and noticed the whisker-like marks on his cheeks.

When I finished my lunch, he turned to me and asked "What's your name?" I was a bit startled by him suddenly asking, but answered "Ulina Lina." "That's a nice name. Mine's Uzumaki Naruto." he responded. "I'm sorry about what happened to your brother." he said a little softer. "It's alright." I said looking at the ground.

"Ne, whose class are you in?" I looked at him again. This Nurato or however you say it, is he for real? How can someone change subjects just like that? "Iruka-sensei's." I replied stupidly. "Really? I have Iruka-sensei too." Wow, it really is a small world. We then both heard the bell ring. "Wah! We're late!" said Naruto. He stood up, grabbed my hand, and pulled me and my lunch with him to the Academy.

When we got in front of our classroom door, Naruto looked through the window quickly. He turned to me and said "Iruka-sensei already started teaching. We're going to have to be really quiet if we don't want to get caught." He then led me to the door that led into the back of the classroom. He opened it a little and motioned for me to follow. We quietly creeped through the door as I noticed that Iruka-sensei's back was to the class, writing something on the board.

Naruto was almost past the middle asle while I was behind the long desk. "I suggest you get back to your seat quickly Naruto." said Iruka-sensei with his back still toward us(creepy how teachers can do that). Everyone laughed as Naruto stood and quickly went to his seat.

Apparently I wasn't caught yet so when I got to the middle asle, I looked to the front to see that Iruka-sensei's back was still to the class. I quickly crossed to the other side(dun,dun,dun) and made it to my seat without Iruka-sensei noticing me.

And, apparently my perspective skills are lower then the low becase I just realized that Naruto has been sitting to the left of me since the beginning of the year. "Sorry I got you in trouble." I whispered to him. "No problem. I'm surprised you didn't get caught though. You're really good." he replied.

"Naruto! Lina!" We both jumped and turned to Iruka-sensei, who was glaring at us both. "Lina, when did you get here?" he asked in a stern voice. "How do you mean?" I questioned back.

"I mean, did you return with Naruto?"

"Wouldn't you have seen me then?"

He stayed silent for a while and went back to writing stuff on the board. "Nice save." Naruto whispered to me. "Thanks." I have to admit, it's been a while since I've done something like that. The thrill, the excitement, the possability of being caught. It was... exilerating. This Naruto kid. He's something special. I can tell.

My sadness. It's almost as if it lifted a little. I don't feel as bad now. And, for the first time ever since that day, I smiled a true, happy smile. Naruto must've noticed my suddenly smiling because he asked "Hey, what's up?" I turned to him, still smiling, and replied "Nothing. Just feeling good." He smiled back to me.

After school was over, I waved good-bye to my new friend and headed home. "Tadaima!" I called when I got home. No one answered. Mother must have gone out. Yes, I now call Mikoto mother. Why shouldn't I? She and father(sorta) adopted me, making me a part of the family.

Anyway, I took off my shoes and headed for Sasuke's room to check up on him. I knocked on the door. "Come in." came his voice from inside. I opened the door and peeked my head inside. I found Sasuke sitting up on the bed looking much better. "How are you?" I asked as I walked into the room. "Much better. How about you?" he responded. "Mmm, nothing much." I said turning my head to the side.

He must've noticed or sensed something in my response and ask "Lina? What exactly happened today? " I turned toward him, smiled and said "S-E-C-R-E-T." His eyes widened at my smiling and I skipped(yes skipped. don't judge me) out of his room, closing the door behind me. Things were finally starting to turn out for the better.

**yc:** sooo? what did you think?  
**naruto:** finally i'm in the story.  
**yc:** yes. and as you could see, you played an important role in it.  
**naruto:** (falls asleep)  
**yc:** (sweatdrops) can't really blame him though. he stayed up nearly everynight after i updated the last chap. anyway. some stuff. ummmmmmmmmmmm. oh that's right. i am now accepting anonymous reviews. but that also means that i am not going to include my friend's reviews. speaking of reviews. i am now raising it to 5 reviews before updating. i will not be including my friends as i already said. and i will only accept 2 reviews from one person. you can give me more but i'm only going to count 2 of them.

let's see is there anything else that i need to mention? umm i will try to get the chaps up as soon as i can. and i'm sure that there are more things that i have to say but i can't remember and i'm tired of typing so, ja ne.


	11. Chapter 10

hey ppl. incase you haven't read my profile i will now be telling you when i update. don't ask why i changed so suddenly. just go with the flow. so anyway, here is the final chap to part 1  
**naruto:** yay finally. (reads chap) wow.  
**yc:** what? is it bad?  
**naruto:** are you kidding me!? this is awsome. i can't wait until part 2  
**yc:** thanks naruto. i really appreciate that.  
**sasuke:** (chuckles)  
**naruto:** did he just chuckle?  
**yc:** i think so. hey sasuke, what's so funny?  
**sasuke:** (shows he's holding some type of notebook)  
**yc:** WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT?  
**naruto:** what is it?  
**yc:** that's my notebook of my more... um... personal stories. give it back you fen teme!  
**naruto:** wow... she actually cursed. she must be really mad then. anyway enjoy that chap minna.

**Chapter 10**

Another few weeks had passed and, this time, everything really was fine. As soon as Sasuke was rid of his sickness, Lina introduced him to Naruto. Even though Lina is not the best at noticing stuff, she couldn't help but get the feeling that Sasuke and Naruto didn't like each other that much. The fact that they were glaring at each other to death helped her to that conclusion.

And if it wasn't for the fact that she sat between them, Naruto and Sasuke would probably be in trouble all the time. This was not too far from what could probably happen. Every single day, they would go at each other like cats and dogs. And every single day, Lina would have to be the peacemaker and break the two up.

Some days, when she was just seriously sick of them fighting, she would yell at them at the top of her lungs, making them both cringe in fear and stop their bickering. When she was in a bad mood(which could most likely happen in the morning since she's not that much of a morning person), Lina can and will get very fierce. But Sasuke and Naruto thought that she was really scary then. So when this happens, they try to fight as little as possible.

Now, to where the famous trio is. Naruto and Sasuke were, once again, fighting over something extremely trivial. This time, Lina didn't separate them. It's a good thing to release your anger every now and again. So she just sat under a tree, watching the two.

The two boys went at it for a few hours, until Lina finally looked at the sky, and then her watch. Her eyes widened and quickly got up and ran to her friends. "Guys cut it out already. If we don't get back home now we're going to be in really big trouble." Lina said hurriedly, more so to Sasuke than Naruto. Sasuke's eyes widened too at the situation.

Naruto looked at them both, then looked to the ground with sad eyes. Lina undestood why and offered "Naruto, I can walk with you to your house first if you want." Said boy looked at her with happily gleaming eyes. "But Lina, what about mother and father?" Sasuke intervened. "Tell them that while training, some things went missing and I went to look for them and should be home soon." she replied. Sasuke nodded his head in understanding and he and Lina and Naruto went in separate directions.

Sasuke was running as fast as he could to get home. He couldn't believe that they'd argued for so long. Just as he was infront of the compound, he felt something strange and stopped. He looked up only to find the moon full in the sky. Then, he looked to the compound to find everything dark. _That's strange_, Sasuke thought, _it's too early for bed._ He gasped. _What if something happened?_ He ran into the compound, his heart pounding.

He turned a corner and saw something he would never wish to see. There, in front of him, were corpses. Tons and tons of corpses. He recognised two of them as his aunt and uncle. _What about mother and father? _he thought and ran to his house.

When he got past the door, he took off his shoes and placed his bag on the floor. He slowly started to walk through the building, looking for his family. He heard a noise coming from the direction of his parents' room and ran to it. Stopping just in front of it he heard something. _Someone's inside._ he thought, frozen with fear. _I have to move. I have to move. Move. Move. Move! _he thought as he slowly grabbed the handles and pushed the door open.

He walked in and saw his parents' corpses in the middle of the room. "Mother! Father!" Sasuke exclaimed as he ran only a few feet in and the door closed behind him. He stopped, remembering that the killer was in the same room. "Whoever's there, come out." he said, trying to act brave.

He heard footsteps as the supposed killer stepped into the moonlight that poured from the window. He could now see the person except for their face. Said peson turned their head so that it now too was illuminated by the light. When Sasuke saw who's face it was, he gasped, this person being the last person he ever expected.

He didn't want to believe it and asked "Itachi. The whole clan. I don't understand. Who could've-". He felt something whiz by. His eyes still had not developped enough, but a second later he felt pain in his shoulder. He winced and looked at his shoulder to see blood. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a shuriken wedged in the door. That was all he needed to know the truth.

A second later he heard his aniki mutter something and found himself in darkness. "Where am I?" he asked. After a moment, he found himself outside. The next thing he saw, was something he would never dream of seeing. He saw his brother killing the entire clan, and their parents.

The scenes were so graphic. There was so much blood spilt. There could be no better torture than this. He wanted it to stop. He felt pain and sadness at the scenes. Confusion as to why Itachi did this. And anger at the fact that he did it.

Before he knew it, he was back in the room screaming at the top of his lungs. He fell to the floor. "Why? Why did you do this Itachi?" Sasuke asked, drained from what he had just seen. "To test the limits of my abilities." he responed. "To test... you abilities? That's why you killed everyone?" Sasuke asked again, anger boiling inside him quickly.

His anger boiled to the top in no time at all and lunged himself at Itachi yelling "Don't fuck with me!" Itachi was faster however, and punched Sasuke in the gut, making him fall to the ground once more. He lay there, with his parents' corpses right in front of him, his eyes watering. Itachi took a step toward him. Realizing what he was capable of, Sasuke became very afraid. He wasn't ready to die, he wanted to live.

So he quickly ran out of the room, then the house, runninng through the streets yelling "Please! I don't want to die!" He kept running until he saw Itachi a few yards in front of him.

"You are not even worth killing." said Itachi. "I will let you live. So run, cling to your wretched life." he spat at Sasuke. "If you ever wish to kill me, breed your hatred. But even that is not enough. You must also gain power and the Mangekyo Sharingon." he said. "Mangekyo Sharingon?" questioned Sasuke. "It is a more powerful version of the regular Sharingon. You too are able to obtain it. But with this power comes a price." Itachi explained. "What is it?" Sasuke asked, scared of what the answer might be. "You must... kill your best friend."

A gust of wind blew by as Sasuke gasped. "Then it was you who killed Shisui." Sasuke figured. "Yes. And you too will kill someone precious to you if you wish to destroy me." Itachi replied. "Until then... Mangekyo Sharingon!" And Sasuke fell to the ground in total darkness.

He woke up to a white tiled cieling. _Was it all just a dream?_ Sasuke thought. He tried to get up but felt pain around his shoulder. He pulled up the sleeve to find bandages where he had been cut. _So it was real._ he thought sadly. Again he got up, ignoring the pain, and walked out the room. He walked down a hallway until he heard two nurses talking.

"I heard he was the only one found alive."

"Yeah, he's the sole surviver of the Uchiha clan."

"Poor thing. I can't imagine what it must be like for him."

He walked away not wanting to hear anymore. After he left the hospital, he went back to the place where he once knew as home.

Somewhere else in Konaha

"Lina, why do I have to come too?" asked an annoyed blond. "Because we're his friends and have to be there for him no matter what." Lina replied. "Now hurry up Naruto."

Back with Sasuke

There were long strips of yellow blocking the entrance to the Uchiha compound. It had started raining. Sasuke walked through the barren streets, remembering as they once were, and seeing it as it is now.

He got to his house and saw his shoes and bag were not there. But that was not important, just as he entered the kitchen he heard a noise. How he hoped it could be his mother, but it was just a stray cat looking for some food. He walked into his parents' room to find chalked outlines of where they once were.

The rain fell from the sky steadily as he sat on the hallway (you know where they show Itachi and Sasuke talking about who it's okay for Sasuke to hate Itachi? yeah that's where we are. I didn't know what it was called so I just chose that, so, yeah, continue) facing the backyard.

He was in an almost trance-like state that he didn't notice the two pairs of feet walking toward him. Nor did he notice his name being called by one of them. It was only once he felt two arms wrap themselves around his torso that he snapped back to reality.

He looked to the side to see Lina. She looked back at him the way a mother would their child. Sasuke turned his head forward again and leaned into the warmth that was his friend. He noticed that she was dry and guessed that she brought an umbrella along. A few minutes later, Lina started to softly rake her fingers through his hair, making Sasuke calm more and more with each stroke.

No words were said. Eventually though, he heard footsteps and looked to find the blond named Naruto there. Said blond sat besides them, saying nothing as well. Sasuke looked questionally to Lina, who gave him a soft, warm, motherly smile. Taking that as his answer, he looked forward once again.

Several minutes pass with none of them talking. Until Lina says comfortingly "I'm sorry this happened to you Sasuke. I would have never wanted you to experiance this, ever." He just dips his head at his misfortune. "But you know," she continues, "you're not alone. I've suffered similarly. And Naruto, he's suffered too. We've all suffered. Which is why we must stay together. To help each other survive, grow, and thrive."

"That's right," Naruto intervined, "we're the same. We're here for each other, no matter what."

Lina stopped her hair stroking to bring Naruto closer to her and Sasuke so that each of their forheads touched the other twos'.

"Together, we're family. And nothing will ever change that."

And they vowed, that no matter what happened, they would always be together, even in death. Little did they know, however, that this very vow would be put to the test in their future years.

**yc:** now what do we never?  
**sasuke:** we never look through your stuff  
**yc:** and?  
**sauke:** and we never read your stories without your consent  
**yc:** good boy (pats sasuke's head)  
**sasuke:** (winces from all the bruises and cuts and broken and fractured and dislocated bones)  
**yc:** here's your treat (hands him a tomato)  
**sasuke:** (eats tomato with glee)  
**naruto:** are you done now?  
**yc:** yes  
**naruto:** good now get started with part 2  
**yc:** hold on naruto. first i have to talk with the readers (clears throat) now that part 1 is done, i shall be going on to part 2, obviousy. and just as a heads up, i might be adding another fic. it's a yugioh fic that was inspired from a dream and two other yugioh fics that i read. but i'll probably post that once i'm done with this series. you never know though. oh and before i forget, if you want to know when part 2 chap 1 will come out, just check my profile. i'll have the date there. and now since i can't think of anything else to mention, naruto if you please.  
**naruto:** we all hope you enjoy friends always stick together part 1. please leave plenty of reviews and comments. ja ne.


End file.
